Hector Vargas.
Another speeding Latino kills an innocent man and his friend
Another speeding Latino kills an innocent man and his friend
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| Ocdulio Garcia Orellana. Another speeding Latino kills an innocent man and his friend |
KAILUA-KONA, HAWAII (HawaiiNewsNow) -
Another deadly crash on Hawaii Island claimed the life of three people, and left one person in critical condition, police confirm.
West Hawaii Today identified two of the victims as Hector Vargas Vigil and Ocdulio Garcia Orellana. The third victim has not yet been identified.
The fiery crash happened just north of the Kona International Airport Wednesday morning.
Officers responded to a call around 6:30 a.m. near the 92 mile marker on the Queen Kaahumanu Highway.
According to police, an unidentified male driving a 1998 Toyota 4Runner heading North was reportedly passing other vehicles on the highway when he lost control. The 4Runner then veered into the oncoming lane, and collided with a 2008 Nissan Titan, driven by a 37-year-old Kamuela man.
"The titan front end was just completely smashed in. The other vehicle was on its side completely engulfed in flames. You could not even tell what kind of vehicle it was. It was terrible," witness Nick Rose said.
The driver of the 4Runner, his passenger, and the driver of the Nissan Titan were all taken to the Kona Community Hospital where they were pronounced dead.
A 32-year-old female passenger in the Titan was also taken to the hospital where she remains in critical condition, police say.
Cell phone video taken at the scene of the accident shows the two vehicles engulfed in flames.
Police suspect speed is a factor, but are unsure if alcohol was involved.
An autopsy will be performed to determine the official cause of death.
In the last week alone, five people died on Big Island roads.
This is the 13th, 14th and 15th traffic fatalities of the year for the Big Island compared to 10 this time last year.
The Latinos are known to speed and cause many accidents and massive property damage and injuries and death. The Federal statistics show that blacks and Latinos drivers cause disproportionately higher accidents due to the speeding, failure to obey the traffic laws, lack of driving licenses, insurance, etc.===================
By TIFFANY DEMASTERS West Hawaii Today
KAILUA-KONA — Friends, family and community members are mourning the loss of two men after they succumbed to injuries they suffered in a two-vehicle crash that resulted in three people dead and a woman critically injured early Wednesday morning.
“The Big Island Latino community is in shock,” said Angela Dean with Comunidad Latina De Hawaii. “Our Latino community is already closely knit, but this tragedy has further united the community.”
Police have not officially identified the victims. However, with permission from family, two men involved in the fiery crash were identified by Dean as Hector Vargas Vigil and Ocdulio Garcia Orellana.
The third victim hadn’t been identified by press time Wednesday night.
The collision occurred at 6:26 a.m. about 1 mile north of Ellison Onizuka Kona International Airport on Queen Kaahumanu Highway in Kailua-Kona.
Hawaii police reported that a Toyota 4Runner occupied by two men traveling north collided with a Nissan Titan, occupied by a man and woman traveling south.
Both vehicles subsequently burst into flames. All that remained was torched and mangled wreckage, which caused a nearly six-hour road closure and delays for most of the morning throughout West Hawaii.
Police say the driver of the 4Runner was passing several vehicles on the highway.
“As he completed his pass the operator lost control of his vehicle, which caused it to veer into the oncoming lane where it was then involved in a broadside collision with a 2008 Nissan Titan operated by a 37-year-old Kamuela man,” police said.
An off-duty police officer driving to work and another motorist stopped and were able to pull the woman from the truck, police said.
All four crash victims were transported to Kona Community Hospital, where the three men were pronounced dead. The woman was in critical condition as of press time Wednesday.
Police think speed was a factor in the crash, but it is not immediately known if alcohol was involved.
It marked the third, fourth and fifth traffic fatalities on Hawaii Island roads since Sunday, when two men died in separate crashes. One occurred at the junction of Saddle Road and Mamalahoa Highway in West Hawaii and another in Keaau.
Dean said Orellana and Vigil were friends and co-workers who carpooled to work every day.
Dean said the two men were neighbors in Guatemala and moved to the United States together. They lived in Hawaii for three years. She added they were both humble, friendly, hardworking, positive and each had a great sense of humor.
“They were both very well-liked by many,” she said. “They both had goals in which they wanted to accomplish.”
Dean said there has been an outpouring of concern and increased communication from extended family and friends between community members.
“There is a lot of chatter within the community right now — everyone is trying to console and support one another,” Dean said.
Since the men’s families are still in Guatemala, Dean said community members on the Big Island have expressed interest in helping them with costs to send their remains back to their country.
Dean said Comunidad Latina De Hawaii also is providing assistance in organizing memorial services locally and social support for the few family members of the two men who live on the island.
Anyone who wants to assist the families monetarily can call Dean at 895-2052. Once fundraising and bank accounts are set up, they will be shared on social media.
The Latinos are known to speed and cause many accidents and massive property damage and injuries and death. The Federal statistics show that blacks and Latinos drivers cause disproportionately higher accidents due to the speeding, failure to obey the traffic laws, lack of driving licenses, insurance, etc.
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By TIFFANY DEMASTERS West Hawaii Today
WAIMEA —The Waimea community was still in shock, Thursday, after a two-vehicle crash on Queen Kaahumanu Highway took the life of one of their own and severely injured another Wednesday.
A fellow church member identified the victims as Hailame Timakoi Lavaka and his wife, Alana, who are members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Police have not yet officially released their names.
Fellow church members Vaitaki Aholelei and his wife, Salote, said they were both still stunned at the news.
“He had a big heart for everybody,” Salote Aholelei said of Hailame Lavaka. “He’s the most near to Christ-like love.”
Early Wednesday morning, the Lavakas were traveling southbound in a Nissan Titan toward Ellison Onizuka Kona International Airport when a Toyota 4Runner crossed into their lane causing a broadside collision.
The vehicles both went up in flames. The two men who occupied the 4Runner, Hector Vargas Vigil and Ocdulio Garcia Orellana, and Hailame Lavaka were pronounced dead at Kona Community Hospital.
An off-duty officer and motorist at the crash scene pulled Alana Lavaka to safety. According to police Thursday evening, Alana Lavaka was in critical but stable condition.
Vaitaki Aholelei said the couple was on their way to a funeral in Honolulu.
Members of the LDS congregation the Lavakas attended spoke about how loving and gracious Hailame Lavaka was.
“Their family was the most important thing in their lives,” said church member Barbara Robertson.
Vaitaki Aholelei said the family moved to Waimea four or five years ago from Maui. Hailame Lavaka was a third-generation woodworker.
The couple has five young children.
Vaitaki Aholelei described Hailame Lavaka as quiet but very giving.
“I never heard him raise his voice to his wife or his kids,” he said.
Vaitaki Aholelei said Hailame Lavaka was at every church activity and service project.
“There was nothing bad to say about him,” he said.
As much as people are mad about the crash, Vaitaki Aholelei said, it’s the choices not the person that are bad.
He added there needs to be a passing lane on Queen Kaahumanu Highway.
“They’re in a rush to go nowhere,” he said of drivers.
A neighbor of the Lavakas said they are a loving and kind family.
“I’m glad the mom’s going to be OK,” she said. “That’s a godsend.”
The neighbor also mentioned there needs to be a passing lane put in on the highway.
“We need to send a message to the county,” she said.
Wednesday’s wreck put the number of people killed in a car crash up to 15 this year.
The Latinos are known to speed and cause many accidents and massive property damage and injuries and death. The Federal statistics show that blacks and Latinos drivers cause disproportionately higher accidents due to the speeding, failure to obey the traffic laws, lack of driving licenses, insurance, etc.